


The Cinnamon Assassin

by DaniCarli



Series: ETNuary Challenge [21]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: 4x04, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, China, Chinese exhibit, Comfort, Cute Ending, Developing Friendships, ETNuary, Enemies to Friends, Escape the Night Season 4, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Rebels, Rosanna being a badass cinnamon roll, Saves Destorm, Swords, Weddings, bloody wedding, everyone makes it out alive, fix this ending, if Rosanna went with her plan to kill the Emperor, let's be real the rebels could have killed the Emperor before he killed Destorm, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22344133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniCarli/pseuds/DaniCarli
Summary: As the Emperor prepares to kill Destorm, Rosanna decides to proceed with her original plan to kill her betrothed.  Will the cinnamon roll succeed or will it be a Redder Wedding?Set during 4x04
Series: ETNuary Challenge [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588867
Comments: 19
Kudos: 25





	The Cinnamon Assassin

**Author's Note:**

> Day 21 of ETNuary: Rosanna Pansino

Rosanna was not expecting _Destorm_ of all people to sacrifice himself. Not too long ago, he made it clear he wasn’t going to die in this place. But here he is, forfeiting from the death challenge to save Alex’s life. The Aviator’s reaction is similar to hers, both of them shocked and unsure what to make of this turn of events.

 _He’s not the bad guy that everyone thinks he is_ , Rosanna reacts in disbelief. She always knew there was good within the tough man, but not even the little Socialite expected him to do what he just did.

“A cheater?” a loud voice gleefully booms. Rosanna looks over and sees the Chinese Emperor (and her betrothed) rise from his throne with his sword drawn. “This just got a lot more interesting!”

It suddenly dawns on Rosanna that by cheating, Destorm lost the challenge. And everyone knows that whoever loses a final death challenge, the price is…well, it’s _death_! 

And Rosanna is about to watch the Emperor kill Destorm in front of her and Alex.

Alex, meanwhile, backs away as the Emperor moves toward the Enforcer, doing some fancy moves with his sword, being the arrogant jerk that he is. The two men face off, the Emperor ready to end Destorm’s life. Rosanna watches as her friend stares down her fiance, his arms out, ready to accept his end. In that moment, time stands still.

The look on Destorm’s face is no longer the face of a smug, so-called narcissistic villain that acted like he didn’t care what happened to his friends, that gloated that he was a man who doesn’t lose. All Rosanna can see now is the look of a man who’s tired and fed up with these sick games just as much as she is. This is a man that wanted to go home to his family, but apparently could no longer take hurting others. According to Joey, Alex and Destorm were enemies in the past. Yet, Destorm took the fall for his “enemy”, throwing it all away for another man he supposedly didn't like. 

While the Enforcer seems to accept his fate, there’s no doubt he’s scared to die. Even a strong man would fear a final death in Hell, as Gabbie told the others when Justine died. And the Emperor is about to send him there.

Well, not if Rosanna can help it!

 _I promised the girls that I was going to kill the Emperor and get the key!_ Rosanna reminds herself as she pulls out her sharp hair-pin from her up-do. _And that is exactly what I’m going to do! I will not let this bully kill my friend!_

Just as the Emperor is about to impale Destorm with his sword, Rosanna lets out a loud pixie yell as she charges forward, a new side of her taking over. Before the once-sweet cinnamon roll realizes what she’s doing, she forces the dagger-like hair-pin into the back of her fiance.

The Emperor screams in agony, dropping his sword, and grasping at the mysterious object digging into his skin. His mother let’s out a scream as well, as everyone else stands in disbelief at what Rosanna just did. The small girl backs away, shocked at herself that she just did that.

“Rosanna!” Alex gasps. Rosanna looks at him, then at Destorm who doesn't seem to comprehend that he’s still alive, let alone saved by someone like her. The taller man looks at the smaller girl, confused and even astounded at what he saw, unable to make a witty remark. Rosanna doesn’t know what to say herself.

“You little _bitch_!” the Emperor roars. The angry man, hair-pin still in his back, rises and grabs his sword, his raging eyes directed at the Socialite. “It appears you are not _fit_ to be my wife! I'll just have to find another to give me an heir!”

 _I never even wanted to be your wife! I already have a love and he’s a better man than you’ll ever be!_ Rosanna wants to yell at him, but she’s more focused on the fact that despite his injured state, he is now advancing on her with his sword. It occurs to Rosanna that she didn’t kill the Emperor, but only made him mad.

Seeing the sharp sword in the Emperor’s hand, Rosanna now realizes that _she_ will be the one to die. 

Memories of her first death appear and she wonders if this will hurt more than last time. She thinks about Justine and how she must have felt when she died. Thoughts of seeing her best friend in Hell is comforting, yet terrifying; Rosanna never thought that a girl like herself would end up in a place like Hell.

_At least Alex and Destorm will survive, right?_

That’s a thought that comforts her. As sad as she is to die and leave her friends behind, at least the two boys can make it out safely. It lessens the fear of death.

Closing her eyes, she waits for the sword to stab through her little body. She thinks about her parents, her sister, Molly, her dog, Cookie, who she misses so much. She thinks about her other best friend, Matt, who is trying to find a way into Purgatory to help them all. It pains her to think about how he'll react when he finds out what happened to her.

But most of all, Rosanna thinks about Mike, her boyfriend, the _real_ love of her life. She wishes she had a chance to see him again. But it wasn’t meant to be. _I'm sorry, Michael! I wanted to come home to you and everyone, I tried! Never forget how much I love you!_

All of a sudden, a loud yell pierces the night. Rosanna opens her eyes in time to see one of the palace guards charging towards the Emperor, impaling him with a large spear.

As the so-called mighty Emperor falls to the ground dead, many things erupt at the wedding celebration. The Sorceress kills the screaming Empress, the guards reveal themselves as rebels, Mortimer is shouting something, and there’s the three YouTubers who don’t even know what heck just happened.

Th rebel that killed the Emperor, reveals herself and looks at Rosanna. 

“You are a true warrior, my girl” the rebel tells a shell-shocked Socialite. “I thank you for your bravery!”

With that, the rebel meets with her companion, both giving a victorious shout in Chinese. “China belongs to us now!” With that, the two rebels disappear into the night.

For a moment, all is still before Mortimer breaks the silence. “You guys, grab the key!”

Alex is the first to move and rushes towards the dead Emperor, prying the third jeweled key off his corpse. As he does, Destorm approaches Rosanna, who’s still trembling from the events that occurred.

“You just saved my life!” the older man says, his voice gruff, but within it a hint of appreciation.

Rosanna looks at him, composing herself, and paints on a smile. “You’re my friend, Destorm, I couldn’t stand by and let him kill you! Besides, after what you did for Alex, you didn’t deserve that fate. I always knew you weren’t a bad guy!”

Before she knows it, Rosanna rushes forward and locks her arms around the taller man's waist, giving him a hug that she knows they both need right now. At first, Destorm tenses up at her embrace, as if he has never experienced that kind of affection. But he relents, wrapping his big arms around Rosanna’s small frame. “Thanks baby girl.”

When they break apart, both notice Alex standing before them with the key in his hand. He looks at the two, still unsure at what just happened.

“That was crazy, you guys! This is the Red Wedding!”

 _No kidding!_ Rosanna agrees as she looks around at the aftermath.

“Destorm,” Alex continues, turning to the other man. “What you just did for me...for Lauren...thank you! I was wrong about you, I’m sorry.”

“No biggie,” Destorm shrugs. “Like I said, I ain’t evil. I just want to go home.”

Rosanna nods. “No, you’re _not evil_! And Alex and I will make sure the others know that!”

“Exactly!” Alex agrees. “You’re one of us now, buddy!”

“Okay, okay, let’s not get carried away with the kumbaya shit! I still ain’t about that life!” Destorm tells the two, once again trying to act like the tough guy. However, the corners of his mouth form a tiny smile. 

Rosanna smiles too, happy they are getting along and all three are going back to their friends alive.

“You guys,” Mortimer interrupts, “we need to get back to the others, let’s go!”

And with that, the small group head back to the lounge. As they exit, Rosanna takes one last look at the bloody mess that was suppose to be the celebration of her supposed nuptials.

“This is the worst wedding _ever_!” Rosanna comments. If she survives the night and gets married in the future, it will be _nothing_ like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Rosanna is a tough cookie who loves her friends, and don't y'all forget it! We need more badass Ro and I will be one of those people delivering it!


End file.
